This Too Shall Pass

I belong to a group called Katrina's Stitchers. We are going through our stash of needlework projects to share with some of our sister and brother stitchers who lost everything in the recent hurricanes. I wanted to add something that meant a lot to me during a very tough time in my life. It was just a simple verse from the Bible, but as so often happens, it was what I held onto like a life raft. During that time, I cross-stitched the verse, "This too shall pass." I put it in my bedroom where I could see it every day. It kept my mind on something I believed with all my heart; that God was with me and that He knew what was going on. He would give me the strength to overcome whatever He allowed in my life.

Eventually, I did make it through that dark night of the soul. I came through it a wiser and better person with strength that I never imagined I had. The verse remained on my wall until I had a very dear friend who was going through her own difficult journey. I wrapped up the framed verse and gave it to her. I told her how it helped me and asked her to keep it as long as she needed it and to pass it on to someone else in difficulty. I don't know where that picture is now, but my prayers are with whomever needs it.

When I saw all the devastation that the hurricanes wrought I responded like many Americans. I sent a donation to the Salvation Army and then pondered what else I could do. I live on a barrier island, so I felt a kinship with my fellow stitchers. On one of my online needlework groups someone suggested sending some of our stash to stitchers who had lost everything. (See my earlier blog.) I wanted to share the verse that had meant so much to me, so I designed something similar to what I had years ago, but I made it look more like New Orleans. I used PCStitch and incorporated some of the lovely wrought iron work on the balconies in the old part of the city and some of the flavor of New Orleans. The pictures are of 3 designs I plan to use and share with my fellow stitchers on Katrina’s Stitchers.